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Mina Kimes is a Gem that ESPN Doesn’t Deserve

I’m not sure when I became a fan of Mina Kimes, but she is very good at her job. In an era where ESPN seems to only employ “analysts” who are concerned with giving loud, obnoxious, uninformed takes, Mina Kimes is a breath of fresh air. We’ve seen Stephen A. Smith’s many gaffes over the years. He’s a pretty poor representation of what an informed sports reporter looks like. It’s nice to know that Kimes is holding down the fort.

Mina Kimes is Refreshingly Authentic

Trey wrote a year ago about how Mina Kimes needs a brand. I disagree. Mina’s brand is authenticity – something that is understandably lost among all the people at the Worldwide Leader who are loudly inauthentic. What you see with Mina Kimes is exactly what you get. She’s smart, fun, and honestly just a delightful person overall. NFL Live is one of ESPN’s more watchable products because Kimes is part of it. She gives her takes humbly and honestly without shoving them down a viewer’s throat. Look at this clip:

The Tokyo Olympics forging on despite the pandemic is yet another example of why we should stop moving the Games from city to city every four years. pic.twitter.com/peszX1gLhz
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) July 19, 2021

Wasn’t that pleasant to watch? You might not agree with her take on the Olympics, but you can tell that she is being completely honest about how she feels here. It’s clearly something she has an opinion on, but she is also thinking through it as she is speaking. It’s not some scripted bit that was concocted for views, it’s how she actually feels. And that’s the type of thing that sports media needs.

Mina Kimes Is Pretty Much All ESPN Has

In the sports industry, where female reporters have an undeservedly rough time being taken seriously as it is, it’s wonderful to see a woman like Mina Kimes be recognized for her work and rise through the ranks at ESPN. She was the one responsible for breaking the Jared Porter story earlier this year, and WFAN host Craig Carton called out ESPN’s Jeff Passan for scooping her work.

Kimes is one of the only good things about ESPN right now, and ESPN knows this. That’s why they give her a ton of airtime and guest appearances on shows outside of her own, including Around the Horn and Highly Questionable. Mina Kimes might be too talented for ESPN. She has enough support that if she wanted to go do something else, she absolutely could. And she would probably be very successful anyway.

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